TOWN SINK TO DEFEAT AT HORSHAM

Whitstable sunk to defeat at fellow strugglers Horsham on Wednesday but must be kicking themselves for wasting the opportunity to get at least a point out of the game.

Horsham started the game on the attack with an urgency that was reflected in the frenetic first 20 minutes. A free-kick from Horsham keeper Michael Hunter dropped to Matthew Simpson on the edge of the Whitstable penalty area and his right-footed shot looped high above visiting keeper Dean Ruddy and dropped down onto the crossbar and former Tonbridge Angels’ striker Chamal Fenelon stabbed the rebound straight at the keeper. Whitstable Town’s opening chance was almost rewarded with a goal when

Tom Axford clears off the line

James Everitt’s left-footed shot produced an excellent save from Hunter, who dived low to his left to claw the ball away with his outstretched left hand. Horsham were rewarded after five minutes when they got their first after five minutes. A ball over the top by Horsham central midfielder Scott Harris released man-of-the-match Tony Nwachukwo down the right and his first time cross flashed across goal and McCreadie swept his first time shot past Ruddy to score from four-yards. Whitstable’s second chance saw right-back Tom Axford release winger Scott Heard in behind Horsham left-back Billy Joe King before he cut the ball back to David Raggett, who looped his shot over the bar from eight-yards. They again nearly doubled their lead in the seventeenth minute when Marriott delivered a corner from the left, which was met at the far post by Simpson, whose header back across goal was headed off the line by Axford. The game then settled down with few more opportunities in the half.

Laurence Harvey challenges

Whitstable Town created the first chance of the second half inside the opening six minutes when Axford picked the ball up on the half-way line before bursting forward and playing the ball inside to Morrish, who found Heard inside the box. He took a touch to put the ball onto his right boot but his finish was poor, blazing his right-footed shot high and wide. Horsham struck the woodwork for the second time just 87 seconds later. Nwachukwo used his pace to make progress down the right before whipping in a low cross towards the near post where McCreadie’s initial shot was blocked before his follow up clipped the outside of the top of the near post from six-yards. After an hour Whitstable began to take control of the game. Morrish drove the ball into the crowded Horsham penalty area and substitute Dan Hanshaw’s first time shot on the turn flashed past the far post from 12-yards. Heard then swept a ball from left to find Jake Beecroft down the right and he clipped the ball into the box where Hanshaw sent the ball over the bar. A poor back header from Horsham right-back Simpson was latched on to by James Everitt, whose right-footed shot flicked off goalkeeper Hunter and the ball rolled towards goal but Jahamahl King raced back to clear the ball off the line. Whitstable Town threw everything at Horsham late in the game in search of a point that they needed and deserved. Beecroft cut a corner back to substitute Adam Woollcott and he stroked a right-footed curler from 25-yards, which bounced in front of the diving Hunter, who stuck out his left hand to turn the ball around the post. Billy Cobb then used his long throw which with four minutes left found Harvey’s head and his glancing header from ten-yards agonisingly clipped the outside of the left-hand post with four minutes left. Cobb then hurled another long throw into the box, which sailed over everyone to reach the far post James Everitt’s shot was kept out by Hunter at his near post. Beecroft swung in the resulting corner and Harvey’s bullet header crashed agonisingly against the crossbar.

It was just not going to be Harvey’s night and he gifted Horsham their second inside stoppage time. Horsham substitute Jamie Ampleford whipped in a cross from the left and Harvey sliced his attempted clearance into the bottom far corner of his net, past the stranded Ruddy.
Team: Ruddy, Axford (Cobb 84mins), Brunt, Micheal Everitt, Harvey, James Everitt, Beecroft, Morrish, David Raggett (Hanshaw 57mins), O’Connell (Woollcott 65mins), Heard